Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club was founded in 1937 in Jeddah, in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia. The club grew out of a student initiative at Al-Falah School, and quickly became one of the most prominent sporting institutions in the city, helping to shape organised football in the Kingdom before national league competition was even established.
The club's first major honour came in the 1956–57 Crown Prince Cup, and the following decades brought sustained success. A golden era spanning the 1960s and 1970s delivered seven Saudi League titles — five of them consecutive — alongside multiple King's Cup victories, establishing Al-Ahli as the country's dominant force of that period. The 1977–78 season was particularly memorable: under Brazilian coach Didi, the club claimed both the league and the King's Cup in the same season, becoming the first Saudi side to achieve that domestic double. The 1980s brought further glory under Telê Santana, another Brazilian, who guided the team to the league title in 1984 and the King's Cup in 1983.
The 2010s stand as the club's most decorated modern era. A 51-match unbeaten league run set a national record, and in 2015–16 the club completed a historic treble — Saudi Pro League, King's Cup, and Saudi Super Cup — under Swiss manager Christian Gross. Al-Ahli also won back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles in 2024–25 and 2025–26, cementing their standing in continental football.
The club's defining rivalry is the Jeddah Derby against Al-Ittihad, a fiercely contested fixture that reflects the city's deep football culture. Al-Ahli's cumulative honours include nine Saudi Pro League titles, thirteen King's Cups, six Crown Prince Cups, and two AFC Champions League Elite trophies.